[We invited Island Oil & Gas to provide a public response - they declined to do so] From a press release published on your homepages yesterday we have learned that Island Oil & Gas together with two other partners has signed a reconnaissance contract with the Moroccan state oil company ONHYM. The area you have signed an agreement for covers parts of the national territory of Western Sahara, occupied by Morocco. Western Sahara Resource Watch – an international network with member organisations in 30 countries - hereby wish to declare our strong denunciation of this agreement and wish to draw your attention to the very serious political and ethical implications of the agreement, as well as its undermining of Human Rights and International Law...Island Oil & Gas is collaborating with an illegal occupier, thus increasing the risk of further armed conflict, destabilisation and suffering in the entire region...The licence also seems to cover areas in the vicinity of Smara, a town that has seen repeated clashes between Moroccan police and civilian Saharawis, as well as serious human rights abuses committed by Moroccan forces against the indigenous Saharawis.